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THE WAREFARE OF THE BORDER 83
ing ensued heavily. The wagons, before encountering the
enemy at the ambuscade, had been parked in an out of the way
place far from a main road, and only the extra horses now had
to be looked to. The bridge was in sight, and beyond it was
Quantrell and reinforcements. The trot quickened into a
gallop and Todd had struck the west end of it, well ahead of
the pursuers in the rear, when from the eastern approach a
fierce fire beat into his very face and a blue mass rushed into
the road and halted. Hemmed in as he was, and hampered
with horses, he rushed at the squadrons blocking up his passage
way and strove to cut through. The fire was too severe, the
odds too unreasonable. Blunt was wounded, Yager was
wounded, Younger had two horses killed under him, Von was
wounded, Bledsoe was wounded twice, Todd had his hat shot
off and four holes through his coat, and those covering his rear
could hold it only a moment or two longer. At the bridge the
Sni made a bend, the bulge of the stream pushing towards the
east; when he got to the western approach he was in the com-
plete envelopment of a cul de sac. Neither able to move
backwards nor forwards; on the right hand the Sni, and on the
left hand the Sni; two hundred Federals in his rear and an
unknown number in his front--this was Todd's predicament.
The river was there, it is true, but the banks on.the west were
ten feet high and perpendicular. He would take to the water
below the bridge, and be the first also to take the leap. Twice
his horse refused him, but lifting him the third time by a spur
stroke, and giving him the rein and a cheering cry, he sprang
sheer over the steep into the river, halting there under fire to
guide, as it were, and encourage his men. All got over in
safety, carrying with them the bulk of the extra horses, and at
daylight the next morning he was in the camp of Quantrell,
near Pallett's on the Sni.
While encamped here, and waiting for the operations of the va-
rious detachments sent out to be completed, Quantrell had receiv-
ed the consignment of arms and ammunition forwarded to Quan-
trell by Quantrell from St. Joseph. In addition to an unusually
large number of revolver caps, one hundred and sixty-eight
new navy revolvers-worth every one of them its weight in gold
-made glad the eyes of the Guerrillas and light their hearts.
They would try them also in a forward movement the next day.

A history of the lives and adventures of Quantrell, Bill Aderson, George Todd, Dave Poole, Fletcher Taylor, Peyton Long, Oll Shepherd, Arch Clements, John Maupin, Tuch and Woot Hill, Wm. Gregg, Thomas Maupin, the James Brothers, the Younger Brothers, Arthur McCoy and numerous other well known guerrillas of the West

THE WAREFARE OF THE BORDER 83
ing ensued heavily. The wagons, before encountering the
enemy at the ambuscade, had been parked in an out of the way
place far from a main road, and only the extra horses now had
to be looked to. The bridge was in sight, and beyond it was
Quantrell and reinforcements. The trot quickened into a
gallop and Todd had struck the west end of it, well ahead of
the pursuers in the rear, when from the eastern approach a
fierce fire beat into his very face and a blue mass rushed into
the road and halted. Hemmed in as he was, and hampered
with horses, he rushed at the squadrons blocking up his passage
way and strove to cut through. The fire was too severe, the
odds too unreasonable. Blunt was wounded, Yager was
wounded, Younger had two horses killed under him, Von was
wounded, Bledsoe was wounded twice, Todd had his hat shot
off and four holes through his coat, and those covering his rear
could hold it only a moment or two longer. At the bridge the
Sni made a bend, the bulge of the stream pushing towards the
east; when he got to the western approach he was in the com-
plete envelopment of a cul de sac. Neither able to move
backwards nor forwards; on the right hand the Sni, and on the
left hand the Sni; two hundred Federals in his rear and an
unknown number in his front--this was Todd's predicament.
The river was there, it is true, but the banks on.the west were
ten feet high and perpendicular. He would take to the water
below the bridge, and be the first also to take the leap. Twice
his horse refused him, but lifting him the third time by a spur
stroke, and giving him the rein and a cheering cry, he sprang
sheer over the steep into the river, halting there under fire to
guide, as it were, and encourage his men. All got over in
safety, carrying with them the bulk of the extra horses, and at
daylight the next morning he was in the camp of Quantrell,
near Pallett's on the Sni.
While encamped here, and waiting for the operations of the va-
rious detachments sent out to be completed, Quantrell had receiv-
ed the consignment of arms and ammunition forwarded to Quan-
trell by Quantrell from St. Joseph. In addition to an unusually
large number of revolver caps, one hundred and sixty-eight
new navy revolvers-worth every one of them its weight in gold
-made glad the eyes of the Guerrillas and light their hearts.
They would try them also in a forward movement the next day.